Billy Elliot the Forum

I think we can assume that simply riding a bicycle is not classified as a "bicycle act."

ALLMIXEDUP wrote:I did not like all the empty seats at some shows. Does anyone know if they sold rush seats anywhere on the tour? Perhaps these empty seats could have been sold dirt-cheap to students, kids and their parents.

Rush tickets(last minute discount tickets) are a great way to fill a theater with an enthusiastic crowd. Some shows, not Billy Elliot, even have a raffle for cheap front-row seats. This is a great way to have young and animated people up front to get the whole audience going.
Students of all ages tend to be more involved in the show. Billy Elliot The Musical should have made sure that every theater around the country would fill all the seats with students and young people. It would have helped avoid that empty-seats, dead-crowd feeling.

rob_hanson1979 wrote:If I had to pick one thing that I don't like about attending Billy Elliot, it's when people laugh at moments I don't find funny.
The first I usually notice is when Michael kisses Billy's cheek. The other is when Billy is saying bye to Mrs Wilkinson and she says "You're very f***ing special."
To me, both are meant to be serious, deep moments in the characters developments, and my reaction has never been to laugh. Usually I get a lump in my throat. Maybe it's just me, but I've always found that laughing at those moments seems childish and immature.

My pet peeves are when people laugh at an emotional Tony who, after detailing the future of 200,000 men, walks off stage saying "they can't all be f***ing dancers" - how can anybody think that is funny?

But what really does my head in is the early applause as the curtain falls on a distraught Michael, visibly upset at losing his best (only?) friend - wait until the curtain is all the way down & listen to the orchestra playing the final bars of 'Love You Forever'. Wan*ers.

Yorkie wrote:

rob_hanson1979 wrote:If I had to pick one thing that I don't like about attending Billy Elliot, it's when people laugh at moments I don't find funny.
The first I usually notice is when Michael kisses Billy's cheek. The other is when Billy is saying bye to Mrs Wilkinson and she says "You're very f***ing special."
To me, both are meant to be serious, deep moments in the characters developments, and my reaction has never been to laugh. Usually I get a lump in my throat. Maybe it's just me, but I've always found that laughing at those moments seems childish and immature.

My pet peeves are when people laugh at an emotional Tony who, after detailing the future of 200,000 men, walks off stage saying "they can't all be f***ing dancers" - how can anybody think that is funny?

But what really does my head in is the early applause as the curtain falls on a distraught Michael, visibly upset at losing his best (only?) friend - wait until the curtain is all the way down & listen to the orchestra playing the final bars of 'Love You Forever'. Wan*ers.

Even worse are those who leap up and head for the exits before the curtain even finishes it drops. How rude not to stay to applaud the cast! I have seen several absconders literally block Billy as he tries to run back to join the cast on the stage, making him dodge their fevered escape. It is amusing to watch some of them sheepishly stand in the shadows, when they realize it is not over, to watch the Company Finale.

And another shoe falls.

Turns out the Billy Nutters who've seen the show "too often" are the ones who get it, for real.

Yeah, after Tony's emotional outburst, I cannot conceive of a person reacting to the humanity and reality of the scene, in any way other than how I receive it, just sitting there, if not physically agape, emotionally agape, till he's in the wings.

But still, and I think this thread is showing us truths recently, BETM unfolds joyously to me (and apparently to other "nutters"), even in moments of heartache. Because it's honest. It's raw. It's of its time. Retro in the best sense.

I've never experienced the show without the finale (for that matter, less than 4-5 major interruptions due to tech issues, and let's just keep it that way???!!!). I think I might be suicidal without that explosion of fun, rhythm and tap. Like with the whole of the show, from start to finale, it's just amazingly well-paced and seems to have matched whatever chemicals and biological goop are in my noggin' that equal the little icon that is titled "Perfect Musical."

One of the big-time nutters .....

tzwicky

joninfinity wrote: And rob_hasnson1979, I agree. There was someone who laughed when at the end of 'The Letter', Mrs. Wilkenson said, "She must have been a very special woman." And Billy replies, "No, she was just me mum." That was a childlike moment of tender innocence, not a joke.

I've noticed that a few audience members have laughed at this line at about half of the shows I've attended. I've always thought that maybe it was actually intended to be a humorous line, as a way of breaking the mood from the tear-jerking "Letter" number. I think it depends a little bit on how Billy delivers the line, as to whether it comes across as humorous or innocent.

Ah yes - the "quick, let's get to the exits" people. People practically following Billy to the back of the theater, really? I sat in the back one time and watched Billy make his way back to the stage and literally bounce off of a couple people that were in the aisle. I asked a different Billy about running into people in the aisle once. His answer: "Oh, that happens a lot!".

GAH! I don't understand that need to rush to the car to beat everyone out of the parking lot. A lot of shows end with a big finale, like BE and Mamma Mia. Why would you want to miss that big high at the end.

I find that sort of thing depends a lot on the location though. It doesn't happen as much in places like NYC, London, and Toronto, because most people took public transportation. So no parking issues. But even here, when I go to shows, I stay in my seat after the bows and wait for the orchestra to finish, and then I applaud for them.

One thing that annoyed me at several BETM performances was when people were "too cool" to to give a standing ovation after seeing a spectacular performance by a kid who was obviously giving his all. This was no time to be reserved with only polite applause. Some theater-goers were too jaded and forgot how important praise is a needed reward for kid's hard work.

madashell wrote:One thing that annoyed me at several BETM performances was when people were "too cool" to to give a standing ovation after seeing a spectacular performance by a kid who was obviously giving his all. This was no time to be reserved with only polite applause. Some theater-goers were too jaded and forgot how important praise is a needed reward for kid's hard work.

When dealing with children, "polite applause" should be reserved for a poor performance where the child tried his best. A good or outstanding performance should be rewarded with an enthusiastic or standing ovation. Adult approval is the main motivator for kids.